Russell Investments NZ chief, Alister van der Maas, has resigned after 15 years with the business including 10 years at the top.
Following his departure last Friday, it is understood Russell will split the NZ managing director duties between head of institutional, Matthew Arnold, and Australian chief, Jodie Hampshire, pending a permanent replacement.
Van der Maas said he leaves Russell on good terms to spend more time with his family before considering another career move.
“I’ve had a great time working for Russell – it’s a great organisation and I’ve met some wonderful people all around the world through the job. My KiwiSaver is still managed by Russell,” he said. “But after working in the industry for 25 years, it’s just time for a break.”
Prior to joining Russell in 2006 as a senior consultant, van der Maas spent about nine year in the UK investment industry in roles for Merrill Lynch and Deutsche.
He was named Russell NZ head of consulting in 2007, rising to the managing director position in May 2011.
The news comes as Russell prepares for its annual NZ investor conference with both online and in-person sessions planned this week.
Among a cast of local and offshore speakers, the Russell event will feature legendary US value investor, Lew Sanders, and Michelle Russell-Dowe, Schroder Investment Management head of securitised credit.
The online sessions kick off tomorrow morning, continuing in various time slots until Thursday, while Russell host two face-to-face gatherings in Wellington this Wednesday at the Sofitel and at the Northern Club in Auckland the following day: both live sessions run from 3:15pm to 6pm.
Van der Maas reported to Russell chief executive officer Asia-Pacific, Pete Gunning, who also doubles as global chief investment officer.
Russell NZ offers both consulting and multi-manager investment solutions to institutional and retail clients, including as an option on the Aon KiwiSaver scheme.